U.S., allies order upgrades to Patriot missile

DALLAS. The U.S. military and allied forces will upgrade their missile defense capabilities under a $524 million contract modification for production and delivery of Lockheed Martin's Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors. The contract modification adds on to the $944 million contract awarded in December 2017 for PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE production and delivery.

The PAC-3 is a high-velocity interceptor designed to defend forces against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. According to materials from Lockheed Martin, PAC-3 provides missile defense capabilities for 11 nations at the moment: the U.S., Germany, Kuwait, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, and Romania.

The PAC-3 MSE builds on the PAC-3, using a two-pulse solid rocket motor that increases the original missiles' altitude and range to defend against evolving threats.